United call to prayer from Archbishop Philip and Cardinal John Dew

Posted on 19 February 2018

The following is a joint request from His Eminence, Cardinal John Dew, Archbishop of Wellington and Metropolitan of New Zealand, and Archbishop Philip Richardson, joint leader of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia:

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We write to you to add our voices to those around the world who are responding to the call from Pope Francis for a day of prayer and fasting for peace for the peoples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.

We strongly encourage Catholics and Anglicans throughout Aotearoa New Zealand to join with others around the world in this growing movement of concern.

There are so many needs across God’s world that it is easy to become overwhelmed or to become immune to the cries of the suffering.

To draw our own focus and the attention of the world to two places of great need is worthy of our time and our solidarity.

Please join with us on the 23rd of February in prayer and fasting.

Cardinal John Dew
Archbishop Philip Richardson

Notes:

Within the Democratic Republic of Congo, 4.3 million people are displaced and 13.1 million people will need humanitarian aid this year.

The young nation of South Sudan has known terrible conflict for four years. Two million of its people have fled the country, and about 1.9 million are internally displaced. Almost two-thirds of the remaining population of South Sudan – about seven million people – still need humanitarian help.